Vancouver Island adds 42 new COVID-19 cases over long weekend
Health officials identified 42 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region over the long weekend as active cases in the region continue to rise.
The new cases were among 742 cases found across British Columbia since Friday. Of the new B.C. cases, 160 were identified on Saturday, 196 were identified on Sunday, 185 were identified on Monday and 201 were found on Tuesday.
There are currently 1,544 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C., including 85 active cases in the island region, according to a statement from the B.C. health ministry.
Island Health officials identified the locations of 79 active cases in the island region Tuesday, including 42 in the South Island, 32 in the Central Island and five in the North Island.
There is currently one person in hospital with COVID-19 in the island region and no one in critical care, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control.
DELTA VARIANT ON VANCOUVER ISLAND
The update comes as new data reveals the Delta variant has accounted for most, if not all, new COVID-19 cases recorded on Vancouver Island since the middle of July.
According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, the highly contagious Delta variant accounted for all 30 new COVID-19 cases recorded in the island region between July 18 and July 24.
Delta variant cases made up approximately 61 per cent of all COVID-19 cases across the province that same week, with the Island Health authority reporting the highest prevalence of the variant at 100 per cent, followed by the Interior Health authority at 89 per cent and the Vancouver Coastal Health authority at 57 per cent.
“We know that the same measures that we take to prevent transmission work against all of the variants, including Delta, which is the one that we’re seeing circulating quite frequently right now,” said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry during an unrelated news conference Tuesday afternoon.
“The vast majority of people who are getting sick with COVID right now have not been immunized,” Henry said. “Less than four per cent of the cases that we’ve had in the last two months have been people who were vaccinated, so we know the vaccine works to protect people.”
One person in the Vancouver Coastal Health region died of COVID-19 over the weekend, bringing the province's pandemic death toll to 1,772.
Since the pandemic began, 41 people have died of COVID-19 in the Island Health region, where 5,307 cases have been recorded.
As of Tuesday, 81.4 per cent of British Columbians aged 12 and older have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 67.3 per cent have received two doses.
B.C. health-care workers have administered 6,902,320 doses of COVID-19 vaccine since the vaccines became available in December.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Police investigating shooting outside of Drake's Bridle Path mansion: source
Toronto police are investigating a shooting that took place outside of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion early Tuesday morning, a source tells CP24.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
3 Indian nationals accused of murdering Hardeep Singh Nijjar facing court in B.C.
Three Indian nationals accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar are due to face court Tuesday over the killing that triggered a major diplomatic rift with India.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.